A memorabilia storage device incorporated in a burial monument and a method for modifying an existing monument to provide such a device is disclosed herein.
The desire to keep sentimental items close to the burial site of a person is well known, and a number of devices have been provided in the prior art for storing memorabilia in or near a tomb or grave site. The provision for memorabilia storage near a tomb or grave site is meaningful, because it gives many people peace of mind prior to death by knowing that they will still be in close proximity to objects that have sentimental value. Providing a memorabilia storage compartment that is accessible to visitors of a grave site is also important because it provides the visitors a sense of staying in touch with the decedent by changing or adding memorabilia stored therein. In this way, survivors can share major events with the deceased by placing pictures and other memorabilia in the storage compartment.
A number of prior art devices provide a memorabilia storage compartment as part of a casket in which the deceased will be buried or, in the case of a cremation, as part of the urn or urn storage device in which the ashes are stored. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,727,291; 5,678,289; and 5,675,876 all provide caskets having compartments therein for storage of memorabilia and artifacts that have sentimental meaning to the deceased. It is a significant disadvantage of the casket incorporated memorabilia storage compartments, though, that they are not accessible after the casket is buried. Thus, they afford no opportunity to the family and friends of the deceased to xe2x80x9cstay in touchxe2x80x9d with the deceased through additions or changes to the memorabilia stored in the compartment.
A number of other devices in the prior art disclose memorabilia storage compartments that can be viewed by visitors to the grave site. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,227,325 discloses a grave marker including a cylindrical chamber that rests on top of the marker in which memorabilia is stored and displayed to those who visit the grave site through a small opening in the cylinder. The storage cylinder is not incorporated into the grave marker, but rather is supported thereon by dual supports.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,426 discloses a gasketed lock-box for storage of memorabilia that is anchored into the ground near the burial site. The ""426 patent comprises a hollow box and is not incorporated with or into a traditional stone, granite or marble monument. A significant disadvantage of the ""426 patent is that it would be subject to collapse under heavy weight, such as a lawnmower and would be subjected to expansion and contraction with temperature changes, disadvantageous compared to a stone, granite or marble monument of solid construction.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,921 discloses a burial marker having an air and water tight container therein that is accessible to visitors of the grave site. It also includes a cylindrical container in which memorabilia is retained. The marker 12 of the ""921 patent is a box that is interred in the ground, like a headstone, but the box 112 is not a traditional headstone comprising stone, granite, marble or any other rigid material. Rather, the box 12 is constructed from material such as plastic that is very light and easy to mold. It is a significant disadvantage of the ""921 marker that it is so constructed because such an embodiment lacks the strength and rigidity to withstand the shifts and temperature changes in the surrounding ground or heavy weight placed upon it, such as a lawnmower.
None of the prior art devices disclose a memorabilia storage device or compartment that is formed as part of a heavy, rigid monument with closure means affixed to the monument. While it is well known that burial monuments may be raised out of the ground or buried to be flush with the ground, there is no device or method in the prior art whereby a memorabilia storage compartment can be formed in the monument itself and accessed either through the top of the marker, for those monuments that are flush with the ground, or the front, back or side of the marker for those that are raised above the ground. In addition, none of the prior art devices disclose a memorabilia storage compartment that solely comprises materials such as brass, porcelain, marble and granite that are generally accepted in cemeteries because of their resistance to weather. Many cemeteries have restrictions as to what materials may be included in burial monuments, and specifically preclude plastics and similar materials that are prone to weathering and breakage.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a burial monument having a compartment accessible to visitors to a grave site wherein memorabilia can be stored.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a burial monument having a memorabilia storage compartment incorporated into the monument itself.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method for modifying an existing burial monument to provide a memorabilia storage compartment therein.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a memorabilia storage device as part of a burial monument utilizing only brass, porcelain, marble and other weather resistant materials.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a burial monument having a waterproof and weatherproof memorabilia storage compartment.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a flush mounted burial marker having a memorabilia storage compartment formed therein that is accessible to visitors to the grave site through the top face.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a raised monument or bench monument having a memorabilia storage compartment formed therein that is accessible to visitors to the grave site through a front, side or rear face.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a burial marker having a generally rectangular memorabilia storage compartment formed therein.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from a review of the following specification and accompanying drawings.
The burial marker of the present invention comprises a weather resistant monument of solid construction wherein a memorabilia storage compartment is formed. A means for closing the memorabilia storage compartment is also provided which protects the interior of the compartment and memorabilia stored therein from water and weather. In the most preferred embodiment of the present invention, the memorabilia storage compartment comprises a cylindrical boring in the weather resistant monument and the closing means comprises a removable cap providing access to the storage compartment. A recessed ring is received within an annular cut out of larger diameter than the cylindrical boring comprising the storage compartment, the ring being affixed to the monument through the use of adhesive. The recessed ring has an interior thread which corresponds to an external thread of a downwardly depending shaft of a removable cap. A gasket surrounds the downwardly depending shaft and is affixed to the cap such that, when the cap is positioned so that the exterior thread engages the interior thread of the recessed ring, rotating of the cap tightens down the cap onto the monument until the gasket is compressed to form a seal between the cap and monument. This preferred embodiment of the present invention is particularly advantageous because the memorabilia storage compartment may be formed in the top, front, or back of a monument, and so is adaptable for upright, slant, bevel, flush, bench or mausoleum monuments. The removable cap is the only element of the memorabilia storage device that is exposed so that memorabilia stored therein is not subjected to rain or weather, but rather is protected from the elements.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the closing means related to the memorabilia storage compartment is provided by a cover that is permanently affixed to the monument by a hinge. The cover is positioned on the monument such that it completely covers the memorabilia storage compartment when closed. The hinge is spring loaded to bias the cover against a flat surface of the monument. A gasket affixed to the underside of the hinged cover provides a seal between the cover and the monument.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the memorabilia storage compartment formed in a burial monument is generally rectangularly shaped and the hinged cover is correspondingly generally rectangularly shaped. The gasket affixed to the hinged cover is also generally rectangularly shaped and engages a face of the monument at a flat surface. The flat surface is advantageous in that the seal formed by the gasket is improved for a machined flat surface.
A method for storing memorabilia in close proximity to a burial site incorporating the principles of the present invention is also provided. Memorabilia is stored by first providing a weather resistant monument of solid construction. This method can be applied for new or existing monuments. A cylindrical cavity is bored into the weather resistant monument, followed by a boring of the monument on the same center as the cylindrical cavity to provide a larger diameter annular cut out. A ring having an interior thread is then positioned and affixed to a shelf formed by the larger diameter annular cut out. A cap is then provided which has a downwardly depending shaft with an exterior thread thereon that corresponds to the interior thread of the recessed ring.